The Politics of Eco-Violence: Why Is Conflict Escalating in Nigeria’s Middle Belt?

Olumba, Ezenwa E.

doi:10.1080/09546553.2022.2129015

Cited by 19 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 0 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…The North Central region of Nigeria, with a population of over thirty-five million, is experiencing persistent and unprecedented violence between nomadic Fulani herders and sedentary farmers over access to water and grazing fields. Existing literature cites various causes for these conflicts, including resource scarcity, migration, adverse climate conditions, encroachment, the failure of politics, corruption, and ethnic and religious discrimination (Olumba 2022b;Ajala 2020;Mbih 2020;Ojo 2023;Mlambo 2023). Some argue that colonialism and its aftermath shaped African conflicts (Piguet 2018;Onwuzuruigbo 2013;Maiangwa 2017).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The 1970s and 1980s droughts precipitated an upsurge in the disputes between nomadic herders and farmers, which have raged for decades (Bassett 1988), with leaders on both sides periodically reaching an accord and soothing the situation (Tonah 2002;Cold-Ravnkilde and Ba 2022). Conflicts between these groups have reached record heights in the last decade, becoming increasingly violent and destructive (Akingbe 2022;Cline 2021;Lacher 2022;Olumba 2022b). This situation has been linked to the rising availability of military-grade weaponry, the elites' vested interests, the proliferation of ungoverned spaces, and inept governance (Ajala 2020;Nartey and Ladegaard 2021;Olaniyan et al 2022).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Anchored in History: Understanding the Persistence of Eco-Violence in Nigeria’s Middle Belt through Collective Memory

Olumba

2023

Genealogy

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The Nigerian Middle Belt is the epicentre of violent conflicts between Fulani herders and sedentary farmers over land and agricultural resources called eco-violence; existing research has not adequately addressed the persistence of these conflicts. Using Social Representations Theory (SRT), this paper examines empirical case studies conducted in April 2018 and May 2022 in Benue State, Nigeria, to determine why these conflicts persist. The paper argues that contending parties anchor, objectify, and socially represent past contestations in pre-colonial, colonial, and post-colonial Nigeria in present-day realities and events in the Middle Belt, leading to the re-experience of collective memories and their consequences on people’s violent collective behaviour. Consequently, people resort to violence to redress present grievances viewed through the prism of past events. To promote sustainable peace when tackling deeply-rooted conflicts, it is essential to comprehend the historical context and the significance of collective memory while employing a comprehensive strategy for conflict resolution. Implementing the Cognitive Reappraisal Technique to address issues related to collective memories is critical to this approach.

show abstract

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Anchored in History: Understanding the Persistence of Eco-Violence in Nigeria’s Middle Belt through Collective Memory

Olumba

2023

Genealogy

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The bill, which was eventually abandoned, was vehemently opposed by the state governors in the Middlebelt and Southern Regions. Similar policies -like the establishment of cattle colonies, Rural Grazing Areas (RUGA), and the National Livestock Transformation Plan -have also been met with stiff resistance in these Regions (Babajide 2023;Olumba 2022;Nnodim & Alagbe 2021;Ele 2020). These proposals, though well intentioned, have failed because they are perceived as land-grabbing attempts by the Nigerian government in favor of the Fulani and as a move towards ethnic domination and the Islamization of Nigeria (Ejiofor 2023(Ejiofor , 2022bOnwuzuruigbo 2023;Ele 2020;Chukwuma 2020;Tauna 2019;Nwankwo 2016).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

You’re not welcome! Violence and support for a grazing ban policy in Kaduna, Nigeria

Tuki

2023

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

This study examined the effect of victimization – i.e., the concrete experience of violence – on support for a policy banning the opening grazing of livestock in the state of Kaduna in Northern Nigeria. This policy, which aims to reduce the incidence of conflicts between nomadic herders and sedentary farmers, has been implemented to various degrees in some states across Nigeria. Kaduna is a suitable case study for investigating this relationship because despite having the third highest incidence of farmer-herder conflicts among Nigeria’s 36 states, the state government has not implemented a grazing ban policy there. The regression results showed that the effect of victimization on support for a grazing ban policy depends on who is perpetrating the violence. General victimization (i.e., irrespective of the perpetrator) had no statistically significant effect on support for a grazing ban policy, but victimization by herders did have a significant positive effect.

show abstract

“…The impact of changing weather on security has been increasingly visible in deadly land resource disputes between farmers and herders across the country’s middle belt, which has recently taken on dangerous religious dimension. Most of the herders are from the traditionally nomadic and Muslim Fulani who make up about 90% of Nigeria’s pastoralists, while most of the farmers are Christians of various ethnicities in parts of Benue and Plateau states (Ajala, 2020; Ojo, 2020; Olumba, 2022; Ojewale, 2022).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Correlates of community resilience to violent conflict in north central Nigeria: Evidence from Benue and Plateau states

Ojewale

2023

Violence: An International Journal

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

This study analyses the determinants of community resilience to violent conflict in north central Nigeria. It adopts mixed research methodology through multistage sampling technique. This involved the purposive selection of Benue and Plateau states. The study is anchored on social capital as a valuable theoretical framework to understand community resilience. It raises a pertinent research question. What are the factors influencing community resilience to violent conflict in Nigeria’s north central? Primary data were obtained through household data collection in Jos, Barkin Ladi, Makurdi, and Gbajimba where respondents were chosen for questionnaire administration. Through multiple regression, the study identified social solidarity, group identity, collective efficacy, number of household member(s) in active employment, and trust as determinants of community resilience to violent conflict. These findings yield insight for theories, policies, and practices. The study concludes that it is important to account for social solidarity, collective efficacy, and trust in strengthening community resilience.

show abstract

The Politics of Eco-Violence: Why Is Conflict Escalating in Nigeria’s Middle Belt?

Cited by 19 publications

References 0 publications

Anchored in History: Understanding the Persistence of Eco-Violence in Nigeria’s Middle Belt through Collective Memory

Anchored in History: Understanding the Persistence of Eco-Violence in Nigeria’s Middle Belt through Collective Memory

You’re not welcome! Violence and support for a grazing ban policy in Kaduna, Nigeria

Correlates of community resilience to violent conflict in north central Nigeria: Evidence from Benue and Plateau states

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About